Beyond Rage
May 30 - August 3, 2025Brooklyn, NY
Summary of Exhibition Overview Curated by Amy Andrieux (MoCADA):
In the exhibition overview for Estéban Whiteside’s first solo survey at MoCADA, curator Amy Andrieux frames rage as the central force driving the work—a sharp, satirical exchange between political critique and pop culture reflection. Rather than avoiding the harsh realities of colonialism and systemic oppression, the exhibition embraces rage as a necessary response that can sweeten the bitterness of our collective discontent.
Andrieux invites viewers to question the nature of rage: whether it is momentary or enduring, embodied or psychological, a protective instinct or a persistent companion. Drawing on James Baldwin’s assertion that Black consciousness in America is inherently tied to rage, she situates Whiteside’s work within this lineage of political awareness and emotional truth.
While the exhibition shares some kinship with MoCADA’s previous show Uncensored, which explored political critique through comedy, Andrieux emphasizes that Whiteside’s approach is more direct in confronting trauma and accountability. Referencing Brittney Cooper’s call for radical honesty and bell hooks’ concept of “constructive, healing rage,” Andrieux highlights the urgency of moving beyond broken systems toward a purpose-driven, community-centered vision.
Through over 30 mixed-media works made with paint, resin, found objects, and repurposed materials, Whiteside’s art becomes both a personal meditation and a communal declaration. As Andrieux describes, the exhibition channels rage as a clarifying, creative force—one that helps us see, question, and imagine new possibilities.
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